Gandy’s Studio

IMG_1848dogArt

Yes, I’m aware it is Saturday and nobody is home in Bloggerville on the weekends. But rather than wait until Monday when a few readers trickle in from work,  I thought it best to follow up in a more timely manner on a recent Fragments disclosure.

You may recall that I bragged the other day how industrious our pup Gandy was in the household task of wood gathering. Her sense of duty and her commitment to the task at hand are admirable.

But be aware that there is more to her than mere brawn and work ethic. She is also a patron of the arts.

In fact, I was pleased to note just yesterday that Gandy’s Workshop is now Gandy’s Studio. She has selected her first sculpture, an elegant and classic plaster nose and mustache (“Der Snozz mit Wheesqers” as it is known in its native Bavaria) from the late AlterNative period, I believe.

I did not witness this selection process from the place in the yard where this sculpture fell off its nail on the poplar tree, but given the heft of this objet d’art, I have to think that her prior work in wood has given her talents she can now adapt to new media.

So far, only one piece has been added to what will ultimately become a renowned collection of outdoor art. Charlie Brouwer, beware.

I predict this oeuvre will soon rival Troika’s trove of treasures. As a matter of fact…

Soon to be announced, a name change for a familiar Floyd County arts event:

“Sixteen Hands. And Four Paws.”

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fred
fred

Fred First holds masters degrees in Vertebrate Zoology and physical therapy, and has been a biology teacher and physical therapist by profession. He moved to southwest Virginia in 1975 and to Floyd County in 1997. He maintains a daily photo-blog, broadcasts essays on the Roanoke NPR station, and contributes regular columns for the Floyd Press and Roanoke's Star Sentinel. His two non-fiction books, Slow Road Home and his recent What We Hold in Our Hands, celebrate the riches that we possess in our families and communities, our natural bounty, social capital and Appalachian cultures old and new. He has served on the Jacksonville Center Board of Directors and is newly active in the Sustain Floyd organization. He lives in northeastern Floyd County on the headwaters of the Roanoke River.

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  1. I think that Gandy has a more artistic tendency than her friend who lives with us! He seems to prefer pieces of bark that are very ordinary and do nothing to improve the appearance of our yard!

  2. Good morning, Fred!
    In my youth, on Terrace Place, there was a beagle across the street named Snooper who collected all fallen objet’s, d’arte or d’otherwise. This being the 50’s and 60’s the collection was mostly gloves, shoes, jackets and various pieces of sporting equipment left by the numerous kids who played outside almost constantly. It was more a “lost and found” than an art installation however, though he maintained quite a collection at times.

  3. Absolutely love the Gandy stories! My Jack Russell would collect squirrels if allowed to. She has managed to nail several bats in mid-air that managed to gain entry to the house – that dog can JUMP! She prefers a critter collection to inanimate objects – she is also an excellent mouser (doesn’t eat her catches, though – her tastes are MUCH fancier than that).